And that, in fact, is a pretty good description of the IMS standard in development called Caliper, which is why I am so interested in it. In my recent post about walled gardens from the series that Jonathan mentions in his own post, I tried to spell out how Caliper could enable either a better LMS, a better world without an LMS, or both simultaneously.

A simple search function allows teachers to search for specific text strings found in either the xAPI statements or in the text responses typed in by students.

Text and graphics, multiple-choice and multiple-response, free-text entry, drag-and-drop, and other interactive techniques

While the teacher can correlate individual responses with the children’s names, no one else—not the app, not the museum—has any personal information about the learners.

creates a highly personalized experience for the children while simultaneously alleviating privacy concerns.

xAPI and Next Generation Learning Get the right data about the learning experience and its impact on performance. We’re among the early adopters and leaders in the Experience API (xAPI) and its application in performance & analytics. As winners of the xAPI Hyperdrive, eLearning Guild Demofest and Brandon Hall Awards with our xAPI-based solutions, we’re inspiring others with fresh thinking. As hosts of the xAPI Learning Cohort we’re supporting hundreds of pioneers and experimenters in learning and working with the xAPI.

xAPI is a json based data structure that's for expressing the actions taken by a user. It's popular for tracking activity across websites because of it having a standard base schema with flexibility for providing contextual information based on use-case.

Currently, Canvas and Sakai are the only LMSs reviewed which has somesupport for xAPI (emphasis on some). Blackboard, D2L, Sakai and Canvas all have support for IMS Caliper, a more edu specific format.

H5P elements naturally emit xAPI statements

Often our solutions must co-exist with existing systems. That’s why we also invest time and money in emerging standards, like xAPI or Open Badges, to help connect our platforms together into a single ecosystem for personal, social and data-driven learning.

full Caliper Analytics compliance

Add xAPI -> https://h5p.org/documentation/x-api Tiki should become a Learning Record Store or a FLOSS solution picked for WikiSuite.

The privacy dashboard discloses to students the learning data being captured about them and how it is being used (such as for research and/or early warning tools).

read by any Caliper-compliant system

An external tool can ask for an xAPI callback URL, and then POST back an interaction activity to Canvas. This will update the activity time for the user in Canvas, and add a page view for that tool. Page views will show up in the course analytics section as activity.

The TLA components align with 4 key concepts: experience tracking, learner profiles, content brokering and understanding, and competency networks.

The Training and Learning Architecture (TLA) encompasses a set of standardized Web service specifications and Open Source Software (OSS) designed to create a rich environment for connected training and learning.

A Learning Record Store (LRS) is a system that stores learning information (statements) communicated through the Experience API (xAPI).

Traditionally, a learner's data stays within the LMS or the organization running the LMS. Unlike an LMS, the LRS and the xAPI enable the sharing of data between LRSs and other xAPI-enabled tools. This means a learner's data can follow them wherever they go, from school to school and job to job.